THE DEPARTMENT of Education has committed to deploying 15,000 qualified teachers as principals to address the critical shortage of school heads.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. emphasized that teachers are the foundation of the country’s educational system.

“The quality of our education rests on the quality of our teachers. Every classroom we build is just an empty structure without its driving force—the teacher. Our teachers are not mere figures; they are the very foundation of our educational system,” Marcos said.

According to the Year 2 report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, DepEd revealed that 55 percent of public schools in the Philippines operate without principals.

DepEd attributes this shortage to several factors, including historically low passing rates for the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads, high personnel turnover, an insufficient pipeline of candidates, burdensome qualification processes, and the lack of structured mentoring, coaching, and formal induction programs.

“This pressing issue is an eye-opener. Many of our schools operate without the brains of our institutions—the principals. Rest assured, DepEd is taking swift action to address this problem,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

In response, DepEd will issue interim guidelines to ensure that principals detailed to central offices return to their assigned schools. These guidelines will also facilitate the reassignment of surplus principal positions to schools in need.